Posted on 08/04/2014 10:54:08 PM PDT by Salvation
August 5, 2014
Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
The following message came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.
For thus says the LORD:
Incurable is your wound,
grievous your bruise;
There is none to plead your cause,
no remedy for your running sore,
no healing for you.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they do not seek you.
I struck you as an enemy would strike,
punished you cruelly;
Why cry out over your wound?
your pain is without relief.
Because of your great guilt,
your numerous sins,
I have done this to you.
Thus says the LORD:
See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,
his dwellings I will pity;
City shall be rebuilt upon hill,
and palace restored as it was.
From them will resound songs of praise,
the laughter of happy men.
I will make them not few, but many;
they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them.
His sons shall be as of old,
his assembly before me shall stand firm;
I will punish all his oppressors.
His leader shall be one of his own,
and his rulers shall come from his kin.
When I summon him, he shall approach me;
how else should one take the deadly risk
of approaching me? says the LORD.
You shall be my people,
and I will be your God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23
R. (17) The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
The children of your servants shall abide,
and their posterity shall continue in your presence,
That the name of the LORD may be declared on Zion;
and his praise, in Jerusalem,
When the peoples gather together
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
Gospel Mt 14:22-36
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.
Some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,
“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?
They do not wash their hands when they eat a meal.”
He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.
It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
Then his disciples approached and said to him,
“Do you know that the Pharisees took offense
when they heard what you said?”
He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be uprooted.
Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man,
both will fall into a pit.
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From: Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-16, 18-22
Distress and hope
[12]”For thus says the Lord:
Your hurt is incurable,
and your wound is grievous.
[13]There is none to uphold your cause,
no medicine for your wound,
no healing for you.
[14]All your lovers have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you;
for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,
the punishment of a merciless foe,
because your guilt is great,
because your sins are flagrant.
[15]Why do you cry out over your hurt?
Your pain is incurable.
Because your guilt is great,
because your sins are flagrant,
I have done these things to you.
[18]”Thus says the Lord:
Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob,
and have compassion on his dwellings:
the city shall be rebuilt upon its mound,
and the palace shall stand where it used to be.
[19]Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,
and the voices of those who make merry.
I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;
I will make them honoured, and they shall not be small.
[20]Their children shall he as they were of old.
and their congregation shall be established before me;
and I will punish all who oppress them.
[21]Their prince shall be one of themselves,
their ruler shall come forth from their midst;
I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me,
for who would dare of himself to approach me? says the Lord.
[22] And you shall be my people,
and I will be your God.”
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Commentary:
30:1-33:26. The second section of the second part of the hook is traditionally
called the “Book of Consolation” because both the oracles in verse and the
prose passages interspersed among them carried a message of consolation for
the people during their years in exile.
Although the section may seem to break the thread of the narrative, it does not
really do so. Having dealt with the difficulties met by Jeremiah in his attempts
to dispel false hopes in an early return from exile, the book now records oracles
about a future return to Judah. The central theme is hope in the restoration of
Israel and Judah based on a “new covenant”. This section could date from the
end of Zedekiah’s reign (587 BC) or a little later.
The oldest part of the section consists in verse oracles. In these we find recur-
ring references to impending judgment and punishment (30:5-7, 12-15, 23-24),
calls to hope (30:10-11, 16-17, 18-21; 31:2-14), laments (31:15, 18-19), and pro-
mises of better times to come (31:16-17; 31:20-22). The general tone is rather
sombre. However, in the final form of the book these oracles are linked by prose
passages beginning with the words “days are coming” (30:3; 31:27, 31, 38) and
which have the effect of giving these chapters a hopeful tone.
The most important passage announces the “new covenant’ that will replace the
one broken by the people’s repeated transgressions down the years (cf. 31:31-
37). From very early on, Christian writers have drawn attention to this passage:
“God announces that a new covenant shall be made, and it will be a light to all
the nations. We believe in his proclamation: our conviction derives from the po-
wer of the name of Jesus Christ who was crucified. All the people will forsake
idolatry and sin in order to draw closer to God; they will suffer death to pledge
their belief in him and to fulfil the creed of their religion. It is clear from the his-
tory of events and the power that lies behind them that God’s proclamation is
fulfilled in the New Law and the New Covenant, in which all righteous men from
all nations who desire God’s goodness place their hope. We, who were led to
God by Christ crucified, are the people of Israel in spirit and in truth, the people
of Judah and Jacob and Isaac, and of Abraham, the one to whom God bore wit-
ness before the time of circumcision, who was blessed and called the father of
many nations” (St Justin, “Dialogus cum Tryphone”, 11, 4-5).
30:1-24. The oracles that start of the “Book of Consolation” include some in
verse, which are designed mainly to nourish the hope of Israel, that is, the Nor-
thern kingdom. To these, others are added (they are usually in prose) which ap-
ply those promises of restoration to Judah. The former were probably composed
by Jeremiah early in his ministry, in the reign of Josiah, when Assyrian power
was on the wane and when religious reform in the Southern kingdom gave
ground for hope that the Israelites, who had borne the brunt of Assyrian aggres-
sion, would come back into the fold. The later oracles were composed after Ju-
dah had suffered deportations. God is not forgetful of his followers, be they from
North or South, and he promises to re-establish his people in their land.
In the first oracles a sharp contrast is drawn between the suffering and anguish
that prevails in Israel (seemingly an insoluble situation: vv. 5-7, 12-15), and the
Lord’s promise that he will not abandon his people or allow them to be destroyed
even though they are experiencing the punishment that their sins deserve (vv.
10-11, 16-24). Similarly, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and after a period of religious
and moral reform, it will flourish again (vv. 18-21). Just as the Lord will deliver
Israel, so he will come to Judah’s rescue in due course. He will lift the yoke that
Babylon has placed on the Jews (cf. 27:1-22) and they will be able to serve God
once more, under the rule of a descendant of David (vv. 8-9; cf. 23:5; Ezek 34:23;
37:24). The Septuagint version omits verse 22, which occurs again in 31:33. It is
a wording of the Covenant valid for all times and situations (cf. 7:23; 11:4; 24:7;
32:38).
The grounds for hope are the same as appear right through the book: “I am with
you” (v. 11; cf. 1:8; 1:19; 15:20; 30:11; 46:28). Despite the sins of men God is
merciful: his love endures: “sin too constitutes man’s misery. The people of the
Old Covenant experienced this misery from the time of the Exodus, when they
set up the golden calf. The Lord himself triumphed over this act of breaking the
covenant when he solemnly declared to Moses that he was a ‘God merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’ (Ex
34:6). It is in this central revelation that a people, and each of its members, will
find, every time that they have sinned, the strength and the motive for turning to
the Lord to remind him of what he had exactly revealed about himself and to be-
seech his forgiveness” (Bl. John Paul II, “Dives in misericordia”, 4).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 14:22-36
Jesus Walks on the Water
[28] And Peter answered Him, “Lord, if it is you, bid me come to You on the wa-
ter.” [29] He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water
and came to Jesus; [30] but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning
to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” [31] Jesus immediately reached out his
hand and caught him, saying to him, “O man of little faith, why did you doubt?”
[32] And when they got into boat, the wind ceased. [33] And those in the boat
worshipped Him, saying, “Truly You are the son of God.”
[34] And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. [35] And
when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent round to all the region and
brought to Him all that were sick, [36] and besought Him that they might only
touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched it were made well.
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Commentary:
22-23. It has been a very full day, like so many others. First, Jesus works many
cures (14:14) and then performs the remarkable miracle of the multiplication of
the loaves and the fish, a symbol of the future Eucharist. The crowd who have
been following Him were avid for food, teaching and consolation. Jesus “had
compassion on them” (14:14), curing their sick and giving them the comfort of
His teaching and the nourishment of food. He continues to do the same, down
the centuries, tending to our needs and comforting us with His word and with the
nourishment of His own body. Jesus must have been very moved, realizing the
vivifying effect the Blessed Sacrament would have on the lives of Christians—a
sacrament which is a mystery of life and faith and love. It is understandable that
He should feel the need to spend some hours in private to speak to His Father.
Jesus’ private prayer, in an interlude between one demanding activity and another,
teaches us that every Christian needs to take time out for recollection, to speak
to His Father, God. On Jesus’ frequent personal prayer see, for example, Mark
1:35; 6:47; Luke 5:16; 16:12. See the notes on Matthew 6:5-6 and Matthew
7:7-11.
24-33: This remarkable episode of Jesus walking on the sea must have made a
deep impression on the Apostles. It was one of their outstanding memories of the
life they shared with the Master. It is reported not only by St. Matthew, but also
by St. Mark (6:45-52), who would have heard about it from St. Peter, and by St.
John (6:14-21).
Storms are very frequent on Lake Gennesaret; they cause huge waves and are
very dangerous to fishing boats. During His prayer on the hill, Jesus is still mind-
ful of His disciples; He sees them trying to cope with the wind and the waves
and comes to their rescue once He has finished praying.
This episode has applications to Christian life. The Church, like the Apostles’
boat, also gets into difficulties, and Jesus who watches over His Church comes
to its rescue also, after allowing it to wrestle with obstacles and be strengthened
in the process. He gives us encouragement: “Take heart, it is I; have no fear”
(14:27); and we show our faith and fidelity by striving to keep an even keel, and
by calling on His aid when we feel ourselves weakening: “Lord, save me” (14:30),
words of St. Peter which every soul uses when he has recourse to Jesus, his
Savior. Then our Lord does save us, and we urgently confess our faith: “Truly
you are the Son of God” (14:33).
29-31. St. John Chrysostom (”Hom. on St. Matthew”, 50) comments that in this
episode Jesus taught Peter to realize, from his own experience, that all his
strength comes from our Lord and that he could not rely on his own resources,
on his own weaknesses and wretchedness. Chrysostom goes as far as to say
that “if we fail to play our part, God ceases to help us.” Hence the reproach, ‘O
man of little faith” (14:31). When Peter began to be afraid and to doubt, he star-
ted to sink, until again, full of faith, he called out, “Lord, save me.”
If at any time we, like Peter, should begin to weaken, we too should try to bring
our faith into play and call on Jesus to save us.
34-36. Learning from the faith of these people on the shore of Lake Gennesaret,
every Christian should approach the adorable humanity of the Savior. Christ —
God and Man — is accessible to us in the sacrament of the Eucharist.
“When you approach the Tabernacle remember that He has been awaiting you
for twenty centuries” (St. J. Escrivá, “The Way”, 537).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14
True Cleanness
[10] And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand:
[11] “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the
mouth, this defiles a man.” [12] Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do
you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” [13]
He answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be
rooted up. [14] Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind man leads
a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
10-20. Our Lord proclaims the true meaning of moral precepts and makes it clear
that man has to answer to God for his actions. The scribes’ mistake consisted in
concentrating on externals and not giving pride of place to interior purity of heart.
For example, they saw prayer in terms of exact recital of fixed forms of words ra-
ther than as a raising of the soul to God (cf. Mt 6:5-6). The same thing happened
in the case of dietary regulations.
Jesus avails of the particular cases dealt with in this passage to teach us where
to find the true center of moral action: it lies in man’s personal decision, good or
evil, a decision which is shaped in his heart and which then is expressed in the
form of action. For example, the sins which our Lord lists are sins committed in
the human heart prior to being acted out. In the Sermon on the Mount he already
said this: “Every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adul-
tery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
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First reading |
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Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22 © |
The word addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord: the Lord, the God of Israel says this: Write all the words I have spoken to you in a book.
Yes, the Lord says this:
Your wound is incurable,
your injury past healing.
There is no one to care for your sore,
no medicine to make you well again.
All your lovers have forgotten you,
they look for you no more.
Yes, I have struck you as an enemy strikes,
with harsh punishment
so great is your guilt, so many your sins.
Why bother to complain about your wound?
Your pain is incurable.
So great is your guilt, so many your sins,
that I have done all this to you.
The Lord says this:
Now I will restore the tents of Jacob,
and take pity on his dwellings:
the city shall be rebuilt on its ruins,
the citadel restored on its site.
From them will come thanksgiving
and shouts of joy.
I will make them increase, and not diminish them,
make them honoured, and not disdained.
Their sons shall be as once they were,
their community fixed firm in my presence,
and I will punish all their oppressors.
Their prince will be one of their own,
their ruler come from their own people.
I will let him come freely into my presence and he can come close to me;
who else, indeed, would risk his life
by coming close to me? – it is the Lord who speaks.
And you shall be my people and I will be your God.
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Psalm |
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Psalm 101:16-21,29,22-23 © |
The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.
The nations shall fear the name of the Lord
and all the earth’s kings your glory,
when the Lord shall build up Zion again
and appear in all his glory.
Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless;
he will not despise their prayers.
The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.
Let this be written for ages to come
that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;
for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high.
He looked down from heaven to the earth
that he might hear the groans of the prisoners
and free those condemned to die.
The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.
The sons of your servants shall dwell untroubled
and their race shall endure before you
that the name of the Lord may be proclaimed in Zion
and his praise in the heart of Jerusalem,
when peoples and kingdoms are gathered together
to pay their homage to the Lord.
The Lord shall build up Zion again and appear in all his glory.
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Gospel Acclamation |
Jn8:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
Alleluia!
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Or |
Jn1:49 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Rabbi, you are the Son of God,
you are the King of Israel.
Alleluia!
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Gospel |
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Matthew 15:1-2,10-14 © |
Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, ‘Why do your disciples break away from the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat food.’ He called the people to him and said, ‘Listen, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not make a man unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes him unclean.’
Then the disciples came to him and said, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked when they heard what you said?’ He replied, ‘Any plant my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them alone. They are blind men leading blind men; and if one blind man leads another, both will fall into a pit.’
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: II BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
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August Devotion -- The Immaculate Heart [of Mary]
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of August is traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated (and not adored as the Sacred Heart of Jesus is) because it is united to her person: and as the seat of her love (especially for her divine Son), virtue, and inner life. Such devotion is an incentive to a similar love and virtue.
This devotion has received new emphasis in this century from the visions given to Lucy Dos Santos, oldest of the visionaries of Fatima, in her convent in Tuy, in Spain, in 1925 and 1926. In the visions Our Lady asked for the practice of the Five First Saturdays to help make amends for the offenses given to her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men. The practice parallels the devotion of the Nine First Fridays in honor of the Sacred Heart.
On October 31, 1942, Pope Pius XII made a solemn Act of Consecration of the Church and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart. Let us remember this devotion year-round, but particularly through the month of August.
INVOCATIONS
O heart most pure of the Blessed Virgin Mary, obtain for me from Jesus a pure and humble heart.
Sweet heart of Mary, be my salvation.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
Queen of the most holy Rosary, help of Christians, refuge of the human race, victorious in all the battles of God, we prostrate ourselves in supplication before thy throne, in the sure hope of obtaining mercy and of receiving grace and timely aid in our present calamities, not through any merits of our own, on which we do not rely, but only through the immense goodness of thy mother's heart. In thee and in thy Immaculate Heart, at this grave hour of human history, do we put our trust; to thee we consecrate ourselves, not only with all of Holy Church, which is the mystical body of thy Son Jesus, and which is suffering in so many of her members, being subjected to manifold tribulations and persecutions, but also with the whole world, torn by discords, agitated with hatred, the victim of its own iniquities. Be thou moved by the sight of such material and moral degradation, such sorrows, such anguish, so many tormented souls in danger of eternal loss! Do thou, O Mother of mercy, obtain for us from God a Christ-like reconciliation of the nations, as well as those graces which can convert the souls of men in an instant, those graces which prepare the way and make certain the long desired coming of peace on earth. O Queen of peace, pray for us, and grant peace unto the world in the truth, the justice, and the charity of Christ.
Above all, give us peace in our hearts, so that the kingdom of God may spread its borders in the tranquillity of order. Accord thy protection to unbelievers and to all those who lie within the shadow of death; cause the Sun of Truth to rise upon them; may they be enabled to join with us in repeating before the Savior of the world: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will."
Give peace to the nations that are separated from us by error or discord, and in a special manner to those peoples who profess a singular devotion toward thee; bring them back to Christ's one fold, under the one true Shepherd. Obtain full freedom for the holy Church of God; defend her from her enemies; check the ever-increasing torrent of immorality; arouse in the faithful a love of purity, a practical Christian life, and an apostolic zeal, so that the multitude of those who serve God may increase in merit and in number.
Finally, even as the Church and all mankind were once consecrated to the Heart of thy Son Jesus, because He was for all those who put their hope in Him an inexhaustible source of victory and salvation, so in like manner do we consecrate ourselves forever to thee also and to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother of us and Queen of the world; may thy love and patronage hasten the day when the kingdom of God shall be victorious and all the nations, at peace with God .and with one another, shall call thee blessed and intone with thee, from the rising of the sun to its going down, the everlasting "Magnificat" of glory, of love, of gratitude to the Heart of Jesus, in which alone we can find truth, life, and peace. — Pope Pius XII
IN HONOR OF THE IMMACULATE HEART
O heart of Mary, mother of God, and our mother; heart most worthy of love, in which the adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the angels and of all men; heart most like to the Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image; heart, full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries; deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, enkindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself dost ever burn. In thee let Holy Church find a safe shelter; protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus, and the channel, through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially) at the hour of death, when all hell shall let loose against u its legions to snatch away our souls, at that dread moment; that hour so full of fear, whereon our eternity depends. An,; then most tender virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy motherly heart, and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in paradise, world without end. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
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Sacred Heart Of Jesus |
Immaculate Heart of Mary |
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Blessed be the Most Loving Heart and Sweet Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother, in eternity and forever. Amen. ....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way ----From the Catechism. P:1439 From the depth of my nothingness, I prostrate myself before Thee, O Most Sacred, Divine and Adorable Heart of Jesus, to pay Thee all the homage of love, praise and adoration in my power. The prayer of the Church venerates and honors the Heart of Jesus just as it invokes his most holy name. It adores the incarnate Word and his Heart which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins. Christian prayer loves to follow the way of the cross in the Savior's steps.-- >From the Catechism. P: 2669 |
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The first is that we ought to love and honor whatever God loves and honors, and that by which He is loved and glorified. Now, after the adorable Heart of Jesus there has never been either in heaven or on earth, nor ever will be, a heart which has been so loved and honored by God, or which has given Him so much glory as that of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Never has there been, nor will there ever be a more exalted throne of divine love. In that Heart divine love possesses its fullest empire, for it ever reigns without hindrance or interruption, and with it reign likewise all the laws of God, all the Gospel maxims and every Christian virtue.
This incomparable Heart of the Mother of our Redeemer is a glorious heaven, a Paradise of delights for the Most Holy Trinity. According to St. Paul, the hearts of the faithful are the dwelling place of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself assures us that the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost take up Their abode in the hearts of those who love God. Who, therefore, can doubt that the Most Holy Trinity has always made His home and established the reign of His glory in an admirable and ineffable manner in the virginal Heart of her who is the Daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, the Spouse of the Holy Ghost, who herself loves God more than all other creatures together?
How much then are we not obliged to love this exalted and most lovable Heart?
— St. John Eudes
Today: Immaculate Heart of Mary [DEVOTIONAL]
The Immaculate Heart of Mary [Devotional] Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Saturdays and the Immaculate Heart of Mary [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, AUGUST 22ND
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Pope's Intentions
Universal: That refugees, forced by violence to abandon their homes, may find a generous welcome and the protection of their rights.
For Evangelization: That Christians in Oceania may joyfully announce the faith to all the people of that region.
-- Saint Paul of the Cross
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Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click. |
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The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. |
Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome
Optional Memorial
August 5th
After the dogma that Mary is the Mother of God was defined by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431, Pope Sixtus III dedicated this basilica in Rome to the Mother of God. Later it became known as "Saint Mary Major". It is believed to be the oldest church in the West dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
Pardon the faults of your servants, we pray, O Lord,
that we, who cannot please you by our own deeds,
may be saved through the intercession of the Mother
of your Son and our Lord.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.
First Reading: Revelation 21:1-5a
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."
And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."
Gospel Reading: Luke 11:27-28
As Jesus said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!" But He said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"
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